Consequential
by Souless-Wonders
Summary: 6th year for the HP characters, and with a new subject, comes great big changes. Professor Fortuna, and her new subject, Ancient Magics, bring about a coupla changes in life for the Slytherins, and Gryffindors in particular. Rated R for later situations
1. Wheel of Fortuna

Disclaimer: We don't own much in this. The OCs and basic plot are obviously ours and so are some of the curses and hexes and whatnot..but sadly the rest is JK's and all those companies associated with HP.  
  
Summary: NOT Mary-Sues! Sorry if you like the MS-fics, but we're breaking free of them for this. Although, due to Insane1's incompetence some MS-y stuff may slip in. *Insane1 looks mock ashamed* ^_^  
  
Basic premise (not unlike a summary..lol. -Insane1: oooh an oxymoron-): A new teacher and her little sister come to Hogwarts in the Golden Trio's 6th year. Arawn, the eldest, has a shady past. Her little sister is hell spawn. Poor Hoggies. Lol. Provides laughs, angst and even a tiny bit of fluff if Insane1 has been able to sneak it in...  
  
A/N *Firefly*- Okay, dah-lings, we're ba-ack! Normally, we're Buffy/Angel orientated, but something seems to have slipped our attentions until ooh, say a month ago? We're both HP obsessed! So, me being me, I wanted to write, and Anita had to help me sort out the mad craze in my head, and then we decided to write TOGETHER! Wow. Insane craziness reigned for the past three weeks. Anyway, this is possibly the most original fic I've written, and I know that no one's done this. If you have, hands up, show us a link, and get a mention. However, I don't think you'd like it if Izzy was unleashed on you..nasty little hellcat that she is.... So no real flames please. If you have something to criticise, do so. That's why we have reviews, and reviewers. If you just want to spout meaningless crudetries, then....same threat applies. I'm in the mood to write a scene starring you, and Izzy, and Izzy's good with a wand...  
  
A/N *Insane1*- Hiya! I'm the other half of the Soulless Wonders. I go by Insane1 (dah!) as my pen-name, but u can call me Anita or Neat. Yep, I am the immature member of this partnership. Funny, 'cos I'm the oldest..lol. We have a fair amount of this fic planned and partially written and it only goes up with reviews. *wicked smirk* This is where You will also note that I am the evil member of this partnership. I am a feedback addict. If I don't get it, you don't get fic. Lol.  
  
A warning to you is that this chapter revolves around the OCs, however it is vital for you to read. It definitely DOES get more interesting and amusing as we move forward...so long as you review. ^_^  
  
Luv ya for now, Can't wait to read about what you think..  
  
Neat  
  
PS- some of the language may offend. For future reference this fic will probably be boosted to an R rating.  
  
***************  
The Weird Sisters blared in the background, as Izzy sat at the table,  
  
doodling. Arawn leaned against the countertop, watching her sister.  
  
A small scratching at the window was heard, and Arawn glanced across the room to see a small barn owl waiting patiently.  
  
She smiled and strode over to the window and opened it, allowing the bird to nip at her fingers affectionately. She needed to pay it before she could take her letter.  
  
"Izz, could you grab my purse, please?" she asked, turning, flicking a piece of dark brown hair out of her eyes. Izzy glanced up.  
  
"Accio," Izzy replied abruptly, and the small purse appeared.  
  
Arawn rolled her eyes. *She* could have done that herself.  
  
"That's not what I meant, and you know it," she told her sister, exasperated.  
  
"So? Why ask?" Izzy replied, shrugging.  
  
Arawn shook her head.  
  
"Sweetie, I think a little less magic would be a good idea," she told her. "I mean, this place is half muggle orientated."  
  
Izzy gave her a defiant look. "So? Send me back to school. It's not like I don't spend most of the year there, anyway."  
  
The older sister frowned, "We'll talk about this later." She informed the other, before turning back to the owl.  
  
She cooed at it and removed a few knuts and an owl treat, before handing them to the bird. Then she took the letter from its leg.  
  
Izzy got up, with a noise of disgust, and stalked out.  
  
Exhaling in order to relieve herself of the frustration, Arawn petted the owl, before glancing at the envelope in her hands.  
  
The elegant scrolling script was pale green, and turning it, over the crest on the back was of four animals.  
  
"Finally! It came!" Arawn breathed excitedly.  
  
She pried it open and pulled out the letter, allowing the empty envelope to float to the ground, now completely forgotten. Her eyes scanned the parchment over and over, soaking it all in.  
  
"Isara!" she yelled, her eyes sparkling. "Isara! Izzy!"  
  
"What?" the girl demanded, appearing in the room.  
  
"*What* did I say about apparating? It's not a good idea, Isara Fortuna!" Arawn snapped.  
  
Izzy rolled her eyes. "Was there a *point* to appearing here? Or are you just trying to bore me?"  
  
"I got the job!" Came the elder's excited reply, as she ran towards her sister. Arawn flung her arms around Isara's neck and giggled like the schoolgirl she had been 14 years ago. "I got the job!" She repeated.  
  
"Fine, whatever, just don't *hug* me," came the disgruntled reply. Arawn stood back.  
  
"Now, Izzy, we need to discuss this,' she said uneasily. "The fees for  
  
Dragonsbane Academy.... They're high. Really high. And with a job at Hogwarts..."  
  
"I'm NOT leaving Dragonsbane!"  
  
"Izzy," Arawn pleaded. The girl turned around, her hands on her hips.  
  
"NO! I've been going to that school for years. All my friends are there. Whenever *you* have a problem, I get sent back for the holidays. You're a crap parent, so you palm me off there, and I'm *happy*. I'm not leaving to go to school where *you* are."  
  
Arawn froze. She was seething with anger. How DARE that ungrateful, snivelling girl say those things! She was doing her best!  
  
"Isara, listen to me, you and I both know that you don't mean-"  
  
"No! I *do* mean. I will *not* go to Hogwarts. It's a dumb school, anyway."  
  
"It's one of the elite-" She was interrupted, *again*.  
  
"I don't care! Look, you had a problem with me. Ever since Mum died, you've been on my case. That school was where I was when Dad decided to leave, that school is where all my friends are, and let's not forget, I tried out fifteen other schools first." Izzy folded her arms, and raised an eyebrow. "No other school would take me, remember?"  
  
Arawn forced herself to stay calm. She knew her sister had problems, and she was genuinely trying to understand them. And right now she was failing  
  
miserably.  
  
"Yes, I *do* remember,' she answered. She could hardly forget the pranks Izzy had pulled to get tossed out, could she?  
  
"How do you know Hogwarts would take a screw up then?" Izzy spat. "I have to face it, sis. Dragonsbane is the only place I can go."  
  
She flicked her eyes up and down at her sister. "Mind you, with one screw up Fortuna, why need another? You'll do fine, sis."  
  
'I will remain calm. I WILL remain calm' became Arawn's mantra. She repeated it over and over in her head, while forcing herself to smile back at her sister. "You're coming. End of discussion."  
  
"Uh huh. Try to make me," came the reply, as Izzy deliberately apparated away.  
  
Arawn sighed and dropped down at the kitchen table, her head in her hands.  
  
She picked up the piece of parchment, and scanned it again. Job  
  
offered..Ancient magics...fraternise with other team members.. place for Isara if wanted. The placement. If money hadn't been tight, she wouldn't have even *considered* moving Izzy. She'd been at the school since she was 12, so coming up for five years. She'd been to pretty much every other wizarding school until then, and Arawn really didn't want to take in the primary wizarding schools. If they'd tried to send her to a muggle school, they believed she might have killed someone.  
She sighed. She'd never been able to truly get away from the family vibe since Izzy had turned up. She was 31, and there was a fifteen-year age gap between the two, so she had never been able to play the sister. Mum's death...well, that was a while back. Not a time Arawn liked to think about.  
  
She switched off the radio, cutting Celestia Warbeck off in mid sentence, and went to a cupboard, and took out parchment, and a quill. Scratching a reply quickly, she attached it to the owl, and sent it off. Izzy would just have to lump it.  
  
*************  
  
"Listen kiddo, you are coming whether you like it or not. There is no  
  
argument." Arawn snapped as her little sister huffed and puffed and tried to hex the house down. "I don't care if I have to petrify you, stupify you, turn you into a rat, poison your breakfast or club you over the head! You *are* coming and you *will* try to enjoy it!"  
  
All this little outburst did was enrage the teen even more. "Oh so *now* you're all for child abuse! This is sick! And wrong! And illegal! And-"  
  
She found herself silenced and restricted in a full body bind. Yes, Arawn might be taking slightly drastic measures, but she was stressed and not up for the shit that her sister was putting her through.  
  
She glared at the girl. "Even if this is the way it's going to have to be for the next school year, you *will* be attending Hogwarts and you *will* respect me and my wishes. Do I make myself clear?" Of course she got no answer, due to the fact that the spoilt brat commonly known as her sister was bound and gagged, so she smiled wickedly. "Good."  
  
She'd never been one for playing fair at the best of times. She tried, of course, but sometimes her nerves just....snapped. She was impatient and had been forced to grow up far to fast. And, while she was forced to be the proper adult at age 16, here was her little sister acting like a 7-year- old. It was infuriating. Which only made her Slytherin-like characteristics more vivid.  
  
Packing the last of their belongings, Arawn sighed and muttered a shrinking spell on their luggage. Soon they'd be at Hogwarts where she'd begin teaching a new subject to the 6th and 7th years. It was exciting and nerve- wracking at the same time.  
  
Was she up to their standards? Would she get along with the other staff members, *especially* considering her little sister's ability to cause a lot of trouble?  
  
Well, it was something that she'd just have to see.  
  
She took one look around the room before levitating Isara's STILL bound form to the fireplace and sighed, gripping the girl by the wrist and dropping the charm, then tossing in some floo powder and crying out "Platform 9 3/4!".  
  
That was it. They were off.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Izzy curled up in a corner of the carriage, giving death stares to anyone who approached. She flicked through a muggle magazine, bored. Arawn, probably trying to make up for the indignity she'd inflicted on her undeserving sister, had purchased it, as they'd waited for an inconspicuous time to board the train.  
  
The door to the carriage slid open, and Arawn appeared, looking at her tentatively. Izzy glared, as her sister sat down gingerly opposite her.  
  
"Look, Iz," she began. Izzy pulled out her wand.  
  
"Either you get out, *now* while you can, or you'll be hexed out. Your choice," she said sweetly. "I did learn some good ones with all the other miscreants at my school."  
  
Arawn looked at the wand, then at Izzy, then the 11-inch piece of rosewood, dragon heartstring, and good for hexes. Izzy had gone of and bought it in Knowles Wand Supplies, in Ardente the little town by Dragonsbane Academy.  
  
She knew the scowling girl had no compunctions whatsoever to using the thing, and judging buy Izzy's past misdemeanours, she probably *had* learnt some choice knew ways of making life a misery. The last time she'd tried it...Arawn swallowed. No, she'd allow the girl to continue stewing. Probably best.  
  
She got up, sighing, and left, Isara still smiling sweetly behind her. The moment she'd left, Izzy dropped the saccharine expression, and rolled her eyes.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Great. Just bloody brilliant." Arawn mumbled to herself, while trying to find another place to sit. "Spoilt brat. Shoulda kept her in the body- bind...."  
  
She passed another carriage and noticed that it was empty. Sighing to herself, she sat down beside the window, praying that no one would try to evict her from this space.  
  
"Umm...Hello...." A female voice said, startling Arawn out of her thoughts.  
  
She turned to face the source.  
  
"Hi..." She replied, her eyes sweeping the other woman up and down.  
  
Well, this was awkward.  
  
"Sinistra, nice to see you," she said, after a few seconds. The other female sniffed.  
  
"Indeed, Arawn. Why are *you* on the Hogwarts train?" she asked, her nose in the air.  
  
Arawn *fought* the urge to hurt the woman, with one of the curses Izzy kept trying out on her. That, and to look mildly shocked, as if she had no idea she was on a train bound for Hogwarts.  
  
"I'm teaching there, this year, Sinny," she replied, mildly. Sinny was the old nickname, and somehow it had slipped out. Sinistra's smile slipped.  
  
"What subject?" she inquired, a glacial look in place.  
  
"Ancient Magicks, actually," Arawn smiled back. What was it Sinny had last said, you couldn't teach your way out of a paper bag?  
  
She was mighty pleased with the look of indignation on her old schoolmate's face. "You've GOT to be kidding me. Why would they hire *you* for such a complex subject?"  
  
Smirking, Arawn leant forward and used a stage whisper, "Because I'm one of the best in the field, SinSin." She practically *hissed* the new nickname, loving the way the woman in front of her turned red with rage.  
  
Perhaps this year was going to be fun after all.  
  
"Meanwhile, you've obviously done exactly what you said you'd do with your life.... Minus the marriage and everlasting youth...." She added jovially.  
  
Yes, judging by how easy it was to stir her ex-rival up after all these  
  
years, this was going to be fun.  
  
"Hmmph," Sinistra sniffed again. "And you, my *dear* Arrie. What happened to your dreams and plans? The last I heard you we planning to become a singer. Or perhaps, a better idea would have been a glazier's assistant. You always were good at smashing glass." She smiled mistily, and then went on.  
  
"Myself, well, I've been in a relationship. At Hogwarts, actually, but I..I..er broke it off. He became too dependent, you see, and I well, I need to check planets and things," she said vaguely, circling an arm in reference.  
  
Arawn hid a smile.  
  
"Well, there was the little thing called Isara," she hinted. "I haven't  
  
exactly been able to get on with my life. Izzy does seem to object to me doing so."  
  
"Oh yes, how *is* your miscreant sister? Still provoking havoc? Making life miserable for all those teaching her? Thank Merlin she's locked away in some ridiculously expensive Swiss prison," Sinistra shuddered. "I pity anyone teaching her" Arawn's grin broadened.  
  
"Well, I'd save your pity. You see, Izzy's taking Astronomy this year, and she's coming to Hogwarts with me." At Sinistra's disbelieving look, she got up, smiling smugly.  
  
"Do excuse me, Sinistra. The trolley's here and I'm ravenous. Izzy hates anything to do with Hogwarts, you see," she called over her shoulder as a parting shot, leaving the confused and bewildered ex school rival standing in the carriage, with a faint feeling of horror.  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Hello." Izzy jumped, and sat up bolt upright. Going to sleep, wasn't really the best idea she'd come up with. Looking at the boy staring at her, she groaned. Running her hands through her tangled black hair, she curled a lip in disgust.  
  
"What do *you* want?" she demanded.  
  
He frowned. "Ah, to *introduce* myself. You're new, right?"  
  
"No shit, Sherlock." She hissed in response. "Now, if you don't mind, I was happy imagining all the ways that I can get myself expelled this year, so you can just run along...." She made a shooing motion with her hands.  
  
Not to let this girl get the better of him, he stuck out his hand anyway. "I'm Harry. Harry Potter."  
  
She groaned. "Great....Fan-fucking-tastic. Can you leave now?"  
  
"Well," he looked slightly confused. "Who are you?"  
  
She rolled her eyes. "You really don't care. I'm trouble. I'm not a good student, and I'm certainly not Dumbledore's golden boy, like you."  
  
Amazingly, the confusion cleared, and he nodded.  
  
"Right. You're from the wizarding world. I was wondering, the muggles, they don't know about me," he explained. Izzy felt like screaming.  
  
"What will it take to get you *out* of here?" she hissed. He gave a small half smile.  
  
"Well, I'd settle for a name."  
  
"Fine...Isara Fortuna, Izzy," she snapped.  
  
"Feel better? Doesn't take much to spill a name," he grinned. The door made that whooshing sound again, and Izzy knew that meant yet another person had come into the carriage.  
  
"What is *wrong* with you people?" she howled. The boy who had entered raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Oh great, you know, Billy Idol *wasn't* a leader of fashion, you know. In fact, his dress sense? The result of too many chemicals, so imitating it makes you look like you got dressed in the dark," Izzy bitched.  
  
The blonde stared down at her, then shook his head. Looking at Harry boy- wonder-look-at-me-I'm-famous-cuz-my-parents-died-wow-what-a-big-scar- Potter, he curled up his own lip, and sneered.  
  
"Back at Hogwarts, *Potter*? I would have thought, well, crawling back to those Muggles crying after what happened would be more apt. You *were* the reason that pretty little witch got killed, after all." He gave a superior look.  
  
"Malfoy," Potter grimaced. "How's Azkaban doing with your filthy parents? Got rid of the masks yet?"  
  
Izzy watched the fray and grinned. So *this* was the son of big bully Lucius. Her sister had known the guy, although disliked him with a passion. She'd been quoted numerous times for saying that 'Lucius Malfoy's only redeeming feature is that he is incredibly sexy'. This caused the younger girl to shudder. Just the NOTION of her sister finding someone sexy was enough to make her wanna vomit.  
  
"Anyway, Pothead, you were leaving?" She snapped, once again making with the shooing motions. The Malfoy kid looked like he'd won, so she rolled her eyes at him. "And I was just about to tell you to do the same thing, so drop the arrogance."  
  
"I'm sorry.... what?" He asked, seemingly shocked that someone could talk DOWN to him.  
  
Oh boy, did he have another thing coming. "I said get out. Leave. Scram." She repeated, enunciating each word as if talking to a child. Wait. She WAS talking to a child. Well, it seemed that way to her. A spoilt, immature guy.  
  
That equalled 'child' in her books. "So do it already."  
"Who are you?" he glared. She shrugged.  
  
"I'm the devil incarnate," she smirked. "You don't want to know me. I'm a naughty girl, and at the moment, all I want to do, is get expelled, so probably not the best idea in the world to hang around with me." He looked interested, and she mentally kicked herself. Don't mention devil around satanic wannabes, she berated herself.  
  
"Really?" he drawled. "I thought you were an annoying little girl who didn't know her place. How very..Interesting. How old are you?"  
  
"As it happens, I'm 16. Why?" she replied sarcastically, taking an instant  
  
dislike to this..person.  
  
"Patronisation only ever truly works when you're the older party," he said, taking a patronising tone himself. "And I'm older. By about a year. I'm17."  
  
"Bully for you," she said, amusedly. "Can you get out of my compartment now?"  
  
To her disgust he grinned and stepped closer, "I don't think so."  
  
"Well I do." She shot back, allowing her wand to fall into her hand. It had been concealed up her sleeve and he just rolled his eyes.  
  
He rolled his eyes. "Oh please someone save me from the little girl with the wa-"  
  
Exhaling happily with the result of her little charm, Isara grinned  
  
wickedly. "Thank GOD for that." She muttered. "You *really* need to learn when to shut up. And when to obey others. So LEAVE *NOW*!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"...LEAVE *NOW*!"  
  
Isara's voice echoed down the train and Arawn grimaced. She pitied the poor soul on the receiving end of her sister's anger. Well, *almost* pitied. At least it wasn't her this time.  
  
Then again, she would have to start pitying herself again 'cos as a teacher, it was her job to step in between potential fights and, knowing her sister, this was probably beyond potential by now.  
  
She growled and spun around, her robe billowing out behind her as she raced to Izzy's compartment. She entered it and -"ISARA FORTUNA TAKE THAT SPELL OF HIM NOW!!!!!!!"  
  
There, that felt better. Although, looking around, she realised that she had an audience now. One of, say, 1000 students.  
  
Where the hell had the fun gone?  
Izzy looked up at her sister, and blew hair out of her eyes.  
  
"No, I won't," she replied petulantly. "He was annoying. And arrogant. And.."  
  
"Isara," Arawn warned. She looked around. Izzy did the same, interested, then shrugged.  
  
"Get the hell out of here!" she ordered. "See him?" Malfoy's mouth had large, crude wool stitches holding his mouth shut. He was clawing through his robes madly, obviously looking for a wand. Arawn grabbed Isara's pointing hand.  
  
"If that spell is not taken off at ONCE then I promise you, you will have detention for six months!" she rattled stormily. Izzy gave her a look of utter contempt.  
  
"Is that the worst you can think of? What happened to a little light  
  
torture? I don't want to be here, people keep coming up and *talking* at me, and guess what?" she grinned. "You're going to have to deal with the consequences of forcing me to go here."  
  
The crowd of people looked even more interested. The sisters faced off, one who's long dark brown -close to black- hair was scraped back in a plait, her robes of indigo swirling around her legs, her hands on her hips, pure teacher, the other with black hair falling halfway down her back, and grey eyes snapping furiously, one slim white hand clutching a wand, the other clenched in the  
  
pocket of her black, regulation robes.  
  
"Isara, I swear.." Arawn began fiercely. "If you start ANYTHING I,"  
  
Obviously the younger girl tired of her threats.  
  
"Tarantuium Gere!" she cried. A small whirlwind appeared where her sister had been, sucking furiously. A couple of seconds passed, then  
  
"Disperse!" Arawn shouted. She reappeared, shaking out her robes, and glaring at Izzy, who smiled insincerely.  
  
"Luciferum tradhidit!" Arawn bellowed. Izzy spun at top speed, stopping finally, with her hair neatly plaited, her robes tidily hanging, and thick ropes holding her in place, a furious expression on her pointed face. A thick gag covered her mouth. Arawn sighed, and turned to walk away.  
  
The spell had been one the teachers at Izzy's school used when she was eight, and had a habit of starting duels. Which she'd frequently won, she recalled. Actually, that was a problem, she'd have to warn any duelling club teachers that Izzy was not to be allowed within a sniff of a duel. The consequences would be disastrous. She shuddered. On her way out, she turned back to her sister, and smiled.  
  
"Keep out of trouble, Izzy darling," she called, as she swept out. The sound of a gunshot echoed in the train, and Izzy stood in the centre of the carriage, her eyes black with anger, her hands outstretched. All the glass in the windows had smashed out.  
  
"Look, Isara, this is not.." Arawn began. She was silenced by a whispered word.  
  
"Shut up," Isara spat.  
  
The eldest was sick of these outbursts. She'd had to stop her own when she was 6. How DARE the little upstart continue to pull this? "Why don't you?" She hissed in response. "This-" She gestured around and at Izzy's eyes, "- Was old back when *I* used to pull it."  
  
Slowly the black took over her own ice-blue orbs and she grinned  
  
sardonically. "Wanna play hardball, sis?" She stepped towards the other, "Because right now is not the time, nor the place."  
  
With lightning reflexes Isara's wand was now in Arawn's hand and she waved it at the blonde boy, muttering a counter-curse.  
  
"I'll get you for that,' Isara muttered, snapping her fingers. "Accio!" The wand slipped through Arawn's fingers, and Izzy twirled the slim piece of wood idly. Arawn cursed under her breath. She'd meant to hang onto it. Oh well, couldn't be helped now. Might as well check on the victim.  
  
She turned back to the blonde boy.  
  
His lips were now back to normal and Arawn looked at him with concern. "Does it still hurt? If so, I carry a numbing draught with me. It's back in my compartment-"  
  
"No. I'm fine. Thank you." He replied, a little on the snide side. Then again, if you were subject to Isara's stunts, of course you'd be anything but pleasant.  
  
"Okay, I'm sorry Mr Malfoy-" She didn't even stop to consider that they hadn't been introduced and that might not be his name. One look at him placed him as Lucius' son. Which might be another explanation for his attitude.  
  
"How'd you-"  
  
"Know your name?" She finished; having completed answering that question in her own mind barely seconds before hand. She shrugged. "You look so much like Lucius that it's uncanny.... Although there are aspects about your facial structure that must come from your mother.... Narcissa if I remember correctly." The boy nodded and she extended her hand. "Arawn. Arawn Fortuna. I was an....acquaintance of your parents. They are, of course, a fair few years older than me but I knew your father quite well." She glanced over at her fuming sister. "I'm sorry you had to encounter.... my sister today. She's, obviously, not in the most sociable mood and will be dealt with accordingly."  
  
"Yeah, right." Isara snorted.  
  
That was all it took for Arawn to round on her. "DON'T think for one second that these people are going to be easy on you! And, because they've been notified that you're *TRYING* to get expelled, I can assure you that the punishments will be more than fitting."  
  
Isara was, amazingly, silent. Arawn waited a few beats before looking her sister up and down and snarling. "I trust I won't have to speak to you again until we reach the school?" Inwardly, she was still fuming that she'd let her guard drop.  
  
"You can trust. Won't mean it'll happen," Izzy said, acidly.  
  
Biting down on her tongue, Arawn nodded and ushered the two students -that had STILL refused to leave- (what were they? COMPLETE buffoons?) Out of the carriage. She glared down at the audience.  
  
"Show's over, folks. Nothing to see here. So turn around and get back into your own compartments." She ordered. Damn she could sound intimidating sometimes. Came with being a teacher and raising hell spawn, she guessed. She gave Izzy a final glare, closing the door behind her.  
  
"Okay, now, one last time," She said, pulling the Malfoy boy back towards her. Her eyes bore into his. "Do you need the numbing draught?" She asked him, "And don't play macho saying that you can stand the pain. Even your father couldn't the last time I did that to him. And I was 5." She laughed thinking on the memory. Okay, so her sister wasn't hell spawn. She was just taking longer to go through all the childish phases that Arawn had already done. And, yeah, she misbehaved.... A LOT.... But she was still, like it or not, her little sister.  
  
He shook his head. "Where'd she learn that?" he demanded, his blue eyes staring straight back into hers, unblinking. Arawn inwardly groaned. Another victim.  
  
"Me." She responded. "I wasn't what you'd call the best role model for that kid. Or even guardian. We, er, hexed each other.... a lot. Which has ended up as great training for subjects like DADA, however, she's quite advanced in duelling and doesn't seem to play fair." Another chuckle. "Neither did I, so again, learnt it from me."  
  
A few more moments of silence flew by and Arawn frowned. "Actually, she passed me. A while ago. I never got quite as  
  
dark as she did." She smiled at Malfoy's boy. "Not a good idea do go there. Izzy...well, Isara isn't a good place to go."  
  
"I wasn't going to," he huffed. He gave her a look that was a mixture of distrust and..respect? Malfoy's and teachers.. ah, yes, he'd be having issues right around now.  
  
"Look, if you *do* go down that path, I'll say it now. I told ya so. This is your warning. She's *not* like any other girl you've ever met. Not even Lucius could have handled her back in his glory days, and that's saying something." She looked into his eyes, "Hell, I don't think the Dark Lord would survive either." A grim smile took over her features, "Be careful around her, k? And, listen, if you need to talk to a teacher that has nothing against Slytherins and wont judge you on your family background AND is closer to the age thing, I'll be around. But don't expect preference for your house and background either. I'm a neutral, Mr Malfoy."  
  
Okay, granted a Neutral with a slight disposition against Gryffindors, but still a neutral.  
  
He smirked. "Not from what I heard, Arawn, isn't it? Dad has informed me on a couple of points." He swaggered out.  
  
"I will not go on a killing rampage. I'm the *good* sister," Arawn told herself. She walked into the trolley, and let loose a string of curses. The lady looked mildly shocked.  
  
"Believe me, it's better than hexes," she told her, and sat down, crossing her arms.  
  
The woman rolled her eyes and kept moving. 'I will NOT go on a killing rampage.' Arawn glared out the window. It seemed she had a new mantra.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Georgina Aravis looked up at the tall figure in the midst of them. The girl was scowling ahead, long dead straight black hair flowing down her back, inky black, darker than the robes. Her arms were crossed, with a wand in her hand. Georgina gulped.  
  
"If you do not step away from me, *now*, you will be hexed into your third year." Icy grey-blue orbs were fixed on her own brown eyes. Georgina nodded. All the first years gave her a two-foot radius.  
  
From the teachers' table, Arawn grimaced. There she was, Isara Fortuna, prodigal child, standing among a cowering bunch of first years. She didn't need to know what kind of threats she'd issued this time.  
  
"Just like her sister, I see." A cool measured voice noted, bringing Arawn out of her thoughts.  
  
"Sorry Severus, she's worse I'm afraid..." The older Fortuna mused. "And it's slightly my fault...."  
  
"What do you mean, Arawn?" he asked mildly. "I seem to recall, certain hexes, on my person..." she grimaced. Yes, she'd managed to hex the boy, when he'd not asked her to the Yule Ball of his 7th year.. oh, she'd been very angry.  
  
"Yes, but.. Izzy, she's pissed with the world, if you'll excuse my language," Arawn informed him, smiling elegantly, looking like the epitome of a perfect teacher.  
  
"Indeed?" Severus smiled. "And you were not?"  
  
"Not as much as her...." She responded, offering a smile of her own. He was a good 4 years older than her and she'd never quite shaken her attraction for him. Not even in the many years they'd  
  
been apart. He'd always known, she'd made her feelings clear as a teenager, scaring the ever-living daylights out of the poor boy as a consequence. Although, that had been when she was 12 and he 16..things had changed after that.  
  
"Why is that? I seem to remember a small girl, eyes as fierce as that one's, with a long plait of dark brown hair, standing in line to be sorted." Severus smirked. "Surely the girl standing there is not a patch on you. Your glory days are hardly past, are they, my dear Arawn?"  
  
Over at the Gryffindor table, Harry Hermione and Ron, watched with shocked fascination as Snape and the new teacher..Well, no other word for it, Flirted.  
  
Arawn shook her head, "Of course not Sev," She purred at him, "I'd like to think the years have been nothing but kind on me." Her eyes swept him over deliberately, "And I can't say they've been particularly harsh on you either...." She offered him a wink and a smirk, before glancing back down at the group of students waiting to be sorted and sighing. "She's troubled...." She said quietly. "More than I ever was."  
  
"Explain," he said gently, pouring her a goblet of mulled wine. She sipped at it. The sorting hat was brought forth, and began to sing.  
  
Arawn sighed again, as it completed it's vocal chant, and answered.  
  
"Sev, she's had to deal with a lot. Dad deciding to carry on in the muggle world, and leave us. Mum dying. And I didn't help." She winced at the memory of the parties and rampages they'd gone on, a big band of old students. University had agreed with her, but Izzy had made her presence felt.  
  
"She was almost eight when Mum died..You were there. I'd gone through Uni. and had just finished teacher training and things. She freaked out about our parents. After the last time you saw us..She started using the hexes and things we'd used on each other. Delved into darker things. Most of the schools she's been at-"  
  
"Most of the schools?" he interrupted, an inquiring look. She smiled weakly.  
  
"Most. As in, Izzy's been through thirty schools in the past eight years. She'd hex various people, duelling, well, not something Dumbledore should allow, and started up clubs and things, daredevil type stuff. She's never been scared of things, I suppose that's a virtue in itself," she shook her head. "I think she hates me. Finally, we got her to Dragonsbane. Big on control. She loved it, but the expenses.." she trailed off. "So that's my life. Geared around a rebellious teen. Maybe how Mum felt," she shrugged, taking another swallow of wine.  
  
He watched her. She was strangely guarded. She'd lost her spark. Perhaps that was the price of raising a child? Not any child, though. THAT child. He offered her a small smile and nodded, "Perhaps.....I can imagine she didn't want to come here then....."  
  
He looked over to the group of first years and tried to suppress a chuckle at the 16-year-old scowling at anything in sight. She was clearly Arawn's sister, there was no doubt about it.  
  
"Nope. Right against it, actually. Oh, you're head of Slytherin, aren't  
  
you?' she asked. He nodded. "Might want to check on Malfoy's kid, then. He had a run in with Isara when she wasn't in the best of moods," she grimaced.  
  
Severus tried to hide the smirk. "I see.... What hex was he subjected to? If she's anything like you were, and I don't doubt it for a second, it was incredibly painful...."  
  
"Oh yeah," Arawn grinned, and a pure second of her old verve was back. "One I'd taught her, I'm afraid. Actually, i think she's losing her touch. It didn't cause as much harm as she previously has. She stitched his mouth together."  
  
Severus winced. Lucius had used that one a few times on Death Eater missions. He'd always assumed the older man had learnt it after being subject to it himself. Time to see if his suspicions were correct. "Ah.... Ouch. You used that on a rather young Lucius Malfoy at one stage, did you not?" Her eyes widened.  
  
"He actually told people that a five year old hexed him?" Snape bit down on his tongue.  
  
That was just too funny. "Not really, no. I just-"  
  
"Worked it out yourself." Arawn finished for him, with a chuckle. "You've always been able to do that."  
  
"Yes, but I wouldn't have guessed the 5 year old aspect...." He mused, then frowned. "You knew how to hex when you were 5?" Thinking on this he chuckled, "Well, that explains a lot...."  
  
"Mm," she agreed. "Fortuna, Isara!" Several heads snapped up in the Great Hall, most of them being those attached to people she'd 'met' on the train. Severus looked interested.  
  
Finally, the hat shouted aloud,  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!!!!"  
  
The word echoed through the Great Hall. Everyone froze. Silence took over. Well, silence except for Arawn and Isara's mutual screams.  
  
"WHAT!!!!!!!????"  
  
"Excuse me," Arawn muttered, having deafened the man next to her. "I just have to go..well, look."  
  
Izzy's eyes had snapped black. She had a wand outstretched, and it was pointed...she was levitating a gargoyle statue over Dumbledore's head.  
  
"Isara! Down! NOW!" She boomed. "And NOT on the headmaster thank you very much!"  
  
Dumbledore glanced up. The gargoyle exploded into a harmless shower of dust.  
  
"Quite," he commented. He smiled kindly at Isara. "Take your seat with your house, please."  
  
"No!" The girl glared. "I will NOT sit with them. Your stupid hat is  
  
broken!" Even Arawn had to agree there. Her sister was NOT a Gryffindor.  
  
Dumbledore chuckled. "I believe there is many a student who has believed that. But it is not. Please take your seat with Gryffindor, please." The eyes had gone steely, even with the pleasant smile.  
  
Izzy gave one furious burst of magic towards the Gryffindor table. It split, right down the middle. She walked over, and calmly seated herself on the edge of the wreckage. "Much better," she announced.  
  
The other students backed away.  
  
"Am I expelled now?" she called up to the teacher's table. Arawn stared at the headmaster, her nerves on edge.  
  
"No! But you will be punished. Remember our conversation on the train?" The elder Fortuna replied, muttering a spell to repair the damage to the table.  
  
"Pfft," Izzy said airily, waving a hand. The half-completed spell fell  
  
through.  
  
"Izzy, stop it.' Arawn warned from her stance. Izzy smirked, and flashed a look in Arawn's direction.  
  
"Another battle, sis? Want to try out a few new curses?" she asked sweetly.  
  
Arawn spun and strode down to the table. She accio'd her sister's wand and repaired the damage -yet again- before tossing the piece of wood back carelessly. "I promise you, I will. And I look forward to it. Just not tonight." She hissed. "And if you do ONE more thing wrong, not only will you be feeling the effects of your actions, but I will *CHAIN YOU* to a Gryffindor of my choice."  
  
The students of said house cowered in fear from both sisters now. Izzy scowled, and accio-ed her wand back from it's position on the ground. She twirled it in her fingers. The table gave a shudder, and flew up in the air, rotating round and round.  
  
Arawn found it quite artistic, really, when she realised Izzy hadn't spilled any food.  
  
"Make me," she grinned.  
  
She pointed the wand at Arawn, and yawned, spitting out a word. "Jargularum, manuem."  
  
Hogwart's newest professor felt her throat and constrict and the flow of air to her lungs stop. Her hands flew to her throat, and tried to counter curse herself.  
  
Isara stood back and laughed.  
  
*******************************  
  
*Insane1* - I am still waiting on feedback..^_^ What did u think? It was fun writing it, so I want to know what ur thoughts and what-not are. Thanks heaps. I love our readers and I adore our reviewers even more...Ciao babes, -Neat 


	2. Insufferable

A/N *Insane1*- Right. First of all, HUGE thanks to our reviewers, you guys are fantastic! MAJOR thanks to Viscountess Babbles-On. Your review was.WOW. Hope you continue to read and enjoy. We aim to please. ^_^ Now, on with the show..  
  
***********************  
  
She pointed the wand at Arawn, and yawned, spitting out a word. "Jargularum, manuem." Arawn felt the flow of air of her throat stop, and become tight. Her hands flew to her throat, and tried to counter curse herself.  
  
She was failing miserably at this and her annoying brat sister was just smirking at her. 'Okay, If I don't die, I am SOOO gonna kill her!' She thought as the world started to fade in and out.  
  
Suddenly another voice sounded out behind her and she felt the pressure in her throat release and started to gasp for air. She spun to face her saviour and ended up looking straight into Severus' eyes. "Thanks...." She managed quietly. "Tried to warn you..."  
  
"Quite." He replied, wand aimed at the younger Fortuna.  
  
Arawn sighed and accio'd her own wand back, before turning it back onto her sister. She scowled as the black took over her eyes again, "THAT was uncalled for, kid." She spat, taking a step forward. "I have no choice...." She cried out the crude lip-sewing curse from earlier, along with a complete bodybind and called for Isara's wand as well. "I don't *CARE* how much pain you're going through. I don't *CARE* what kind of crap you think you can pull to get expelled. Because you're not. You're going to stay here. As of this very second I am bonding you to the grounds. You wont be able to leave or apparate at all. No hogsmeade. No nothing. And you were put in Gryffindor. Get your spoilt brat head out of your arse for just a second and realise that you can't change any of this."  
  
Of course the child couldn't answer due to the hex mentioned before, but Arawn could care less. This was her first day at a job with her ex-peers and she intended on enjoying it. And almost being killed by her own sister clearly did not help.  
  
"And I will NOT release your lips or body, nor will I return your wand, until you can be trusted." Arawn continued. She could be cruel and heartless. After all, it was where her sister had learnt that horrible attitude of hers. And the curses that went with it.  
  
Severus stared at her, realising just how harsh the woman could be. Not that she didn't have grounds for it, but it was different seeing the two in action against each other. Quite frightning really.  
  
"Arawn...." He began cautiously, measuring his tone and actions. It was as if he was trying to coax a wild animal to trust him. He chuckled. In a way he kinda was.  
  
She spun to glare at him. "What?" She snapped.  
  
He gestured to her sister, "Don't you think that your methods are-"  
  
"What, Severus? A bit hard on her?" She demanded. "The brat tried to kill me. She does it often. I KNOW how to handle her."  
  
"Well, yes," he replied, tentatively. "But this is a little excessive, no?" The entire Great Hall was staring at the three standing in the centre.  
  
"No. It won't hold her," Arawn said, watching as Izzy fought the curse. "If she wasn't so damn insane, she'd be quite good at DADA. See?"  
  
Izzy had managed to untangle herself from the curse, and using a penknife in her robes, unstitched her mouth simply by cutting through the stitches.  
  
Arawn turned back to the table, and sat down, the students still in hushed  
  
silence.  
  
"Eat!" she encouraged. The hall went back to lively chatter, and curious stares at the two sisters. Unbeknownst to Arawn, Izzy had her wand back, and was glowering at her. However, she decided hunger overrode the instinct to kill, and ate slowly, still staring after her sister.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The feast was nearing it's end and pretty soon the students would be sent to their dorms. Arawn watched as her sister cast a healing charm on her lips, after she was satisfied that most of the students around her had lost their appetites. She sighed while watching Isara and felt a pang of pity for the other Gryffindors. Only a small pang though. In her opinion, sending Izzy into that particular house was killing two birds with one killer stone.  
  
"Prefects! Take the students to their towers!" Dumbledore called in ringing tones.  
  
The students did as they were told, although the Gryffindor prefects looked mighty afraid of their new student.  
  
Arawn breathed the first relaxed breath she had had all evening, and smiled at Severus. He lifted his goblet.  
  
"Arawn, do you wish me to introduce you to some of the staff?" he asked, politely.  
  
She smiled back at him, and nodded. She knew most of them -in some cases she wished she didn't- but it was still something to take her mind off her sister.  
  
"Excellent. the house-elves will be along in a minute, we'd better go," he said, with a small smile. "You didn't get to eat much, however."  
  
"Don't usually. Although, I've never been that big on the stuffing myself...." She glanced at him with another smile.  
  
He winced. It seemed Sevvy remembered the days of cramming junk into his mouth as well. He'd been quite good at feeding himself, she recalled.  
  
"No, I can see that," he replied, with an appreciative look. She laughed.  
  
"Severus, you were never a flirt in the past," she reprimanded.  
  
He shrugged, "Not until you came along...."  
  
She rolled her eyes, "Cheesy, Sev. Honestly...."  
  
He laughed then. "Maybe, maybe.." he led her off, following the other teachers.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Okay....if this cat doesn't get off my bed, I'm going to hex it into next century...." Izzy hissed, glaring at the giant tabby sprawled out on her pillow.  
  
It purred at her, infuriating the witch further.  
  
"Whoever *owns* this thing, well, prepare to meet your new stuffed pillow!" Izzy screeched.  
  
Still nobody owned up to the creature.  
  
Isara took out her wand and aimed it at the animal. "Last chance!" She cried.  
  
"Excuse me!" A brunette said with great indignation, snatching up the great ginger tabby. "That's *my* cat. don't hex it!"  
  
"Then it'll do you well to keep it OFF my belongings." Izzy scowled. "Maybe teach it some tricks or something..."  
  
"And who are you?" demanded the girl, hotly. "Oh, you're the strange one. The idiot who tried to kill Professor Dumbledore! I'm Hermione Granger and I suggest you stop doing things like that, unless you want to end up in Slytherin!"  
  
"I WANTED to end up in Slytherin, you twit." Came the reply. "And I wasn't trying to KILL the old coot. Just stun him a little...."  
  
"You wanted...Hermione seemed lost for words. "Why are you in Gryffindor, then?"  
  
"Fucked if I know. Bloody hat made a bad mistake."  
  
About five people turned around at this. Considering there were eight in a dormitory, it meant most of the attention was focused on Isara. Which suited her.  
  
Hermione gasped at the younger girl, prompting the latter to roll her eyes.  
  
"Oh grow up. You're supposed to be older." That provoked a confused look.  
  
"Why are you in sixth year, then?" Hermione asked hurriedly.  
  
"Well, the fact that I hex anything and everything to a seventh year level might have something to do with it," Izzy smirked.  
  
The girl's jaw dropped. "Ooh not liking the competition? Granger?"  
  
"So you don't crack open a book?" the girl said huffily. "Doesn't sound like you'll be with the sixth year much longer."  
  
"That's kinda what I'm hoping for...." Isara rolled her eyes. Honestly, these Gryffindors were so friggen slow! "I want out of here and FAST."  
  
"Yes, Dumbledore doesn't have a habit for expelling people. Only Hagrid, and that was serious, not just a little girl showing off," Hermione answered.  
  
"Hermione..." Lavender Brown warned. "Remember the table?"  
  
"I couldn't give a stuff about the table...." She shot back, before turning to glare at Izzy.  
  
The younger girl smirked. The Granger chick had just made a HUGE mistake.  
  
"Hmm, you might want to take her advice. I mean, I'm new here, no idea about etiquette, and I *have* been thrown out of most of the wizarding schools in the world, So my repertoire of curses?" Izzy gave a small grin. "Quite extensive. Actually, Arawn doesn't know half of 'em, and I have no intention of letting her know I know them. So you'd be stuck with old, and boring curses, that Arawn knows, which you'd *hate*."  
  
Hermione wanted to slap this girl as hard as she had Malfoy. "Oh yes?" she drawled, trying to further wind the girl up. A handy spell she'd learnt for defusing curses was a moment away.  
  
Isara rolled her eyes once more. "Listen Miss Priss, I know what you're trying to do. It doesn't work. All you're going to do is get yourself sent to the infirmary....That or the morgue...."  
  
"Oh really? You don't think the number of times we have beaten Malfoy, or even gone in combat against Voldemort will help me?" Hermione snapped, angry.  
  
"Oh, yes, Cos Malfoy is all powerful...." Izzy shot back, sarcasm lacing her tone. "Not something to be proud of, honey. I was hexing university students when I was 5. Malfoy is just an arrogant bastard that can't obey simple instructions. And Voldemort? Come off it. YOU'VE never gone up against him for starters, and the bloody boy that keeps living manages to pull off miracles for sheer, dumb luck." She yawned delicately, and raised an eyebrow. "So, are ya gonna fight me, or bore me to sleep?"  
  
Hermione's temper flared. "You know I should-"  
  
"MIONE!" Ron cried rushing into the girls' dorms. "I heard....." He puffed. "Came to stop you...."  
  
Lavender tapped him on the shoulder and glared at him. "OUT of the GIRL'S dorms NOW!"  
  
"Oh, shuddup Lavender," he snapped. "'Mione, you saw what happened at supper. She's dangerous, mad even. Her sister's the only one who can control her, I heard." He glanced at Izzy, who was twirling her wand idly.  
  
"Hey! She can't even control me." She decided to interrupt. "I really have to prove that...."  
  
Ron blinked a couple of times and then looked back at his best friend. Well, one of them. "See what I mean? Besides, you could get in trouble...." Yep, he could always use that threat to convince Hermione to behave.  
  
She quirked an eyebrow at him.  
  
Or maybe not.  
  
"That doesn't matter Ron. If we're going to have to put up with her, all *term*.." she took in a deep breath. "Fine. We'll duel. But bare in mind, I have been studying since we came to Hogwarts!" Ron blushed, and grabbed her arm.  
  
"Mione, you'll get killed!" he wheedled.  
  
"Get..Off..Ron!" she snapped, shaking him off her arm.  
  
"Awww, how cute," Izzy sighed. "Can we fight now?"  
  
"No!" The redhead protested, stepping in front if Hermione.  
  
"Yes!" Hermione said firmly, stepping out in front of him.  
  
"No." He repeated.  
  
Isara held out her hand to stop them both. "My God, you two are childish."  
  
Hermione glared at Ron. "We'll go to the Great Hall. That'll be empty by now," she announced. Izzy shrugged.  
  
"Okay. Thought it would be cool to wreck a different room this time. And less chance of my sister catching us. However, judging on her and Sevvy dearest, she'll be in bed, busy," she sneered.  
  
Ron grimaced. "Not a mental image I needed...."  
  
"Me neither," she snapped. "It's one I have to deal with, share my pain. I can't help it if.New thought. I can play with them later," she grinned wickedly. "Anyway, great Hall, let's go."  
  
"Right." Hermione spun on her heel and stalked out. Ron groaned.  
  
"I'm finding HArry," he announced, racing off.  
  
"You do that," izzy muttered, tossing her hair.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Right, Mione, please don't do this...." Ron begged, practically on his hands and knees.  
  
Harry nodded enthusiastically. "What he said.....We don't want to see you end up all mushed...."  
  
"So you don't believe in me?" Hermione snapped. The two exchanged looks. Either answer would result in being ignored for the next few days.  
  
"Okay, I would rather hurt your feelings than see you end up like Malfoy on the train....." Harry told her, crossing his arms over his chest. "I will NOT stand by and watch her kill you. You can't possibly believe that you can take her on-"  
  
"What? I can't take her on? Harry, I can do this. If she hurts me, I know you and Ron can kill her between you." Hermione scowled. "Now excuse me."  
  
"I wont be killing a new girl no matter how crazy she is...." Ron rambled, pulling her back. "Mione, one last time, PLEASE don't do this...."  
  
"Why not? She almost killed Dumbledore!" Hermione yanked away from the red haired boy. "I *will* win, Ron."  
  
"No you WON'T, Hermione." Harry said, "Isara there is powerful, slightly insane, and shows no remorse or hesitation for inflicting lots and lots of pain. She tried to kill her own sister tonight AND the headmaster. She wont fight fair and you WILL lose 'cos I'm willing to bet her hexes are close to the Unforgivables...."  
  
"Damn right," Isara called over from the far side of the Hall, smiling slightly. Insane, yeah, she could live with that. She hadn't tried to kill Arawn though. Stupid bint had made her way out of that one. They stared. How the hell could she hear them?  
  
"Add ears like a bat, Harry," Ron stuttered.  
  
"And she has ears like a....RON!" Harry glared, "You're not helping."  
  
"Can we *pleease* fight now?" Izzy pleaded. She was bored, and she really wanted to test out a couple of things. Arawn had spoilt her fun earlier.  
  
"No!" The boys cried, while Hermione nodded.  
  
"Oh, go away," Izzy commanded waving her wand in the boys' direction. Helpless, their feet moved toward the corner, where they frantically waved at Hermione to stop.  
  
"Finally," Hermione breathed, before striding forwards and into the line of fire. Literally. Flames sprang up around them, cutting off anyone who would have watched.  
  
"Sorry, I'm just a little shy," Izzy taunted from the bottom.  
  
Ron clamped his eyes shut. He didn't want to see Hermione get smushed.  
  
Hermione gasped and looked around. Maybe the boys had been right....  
  
"Having trouble? Wanna back out?" Izzy shouted. The flames behind Hermione heated up. "Sorry, you can't. Forgot to mention that."  
  
The bookworm swallowed and pulled out her wand. She could do this. She knew some handy curses and counter curses. She'd dueled before. She could SO do this.  
  
The hex hit her in the solar plexus, and she doubled up, as what felt like knives tore at her insides.  
  
"First blood to me!" Izzy crowed with delight. "Still gonna outsmart me, Herm?"  
  
Okay, maybe she couldn't do this....  
  
Hermione groaned and straightened herself out, tossing a hex of her own at the other girl. Who rebounded it back without even a flick of her wrist.  
  
Once again, Miss Granger was writhing on the floor.  
  
"Having trouble, sweetie? Wanna make this a tag team affair?" The hateful tones drawled. "Sorry, I haven't got a partner."  
  
Pulling herself back up, Hermione snarled and tried again.  
  
She got the same results.  
  
"Do you have any idea how boring this repetitive gig is for me?" Izzy asked, yawning. "I mean, it's kinda funny to watch you twitching in pain...but even that gets old when I can't practice..."  
  
Hermione grimaced, and hauled herself to her feet.  
  
"You know, you should really just give in. I'm not gonna let you of course," Izzy said with a flick of her wand. "But it's fun watching you beg." she grinned.  
  
"I....Don't....Beg....." Hermione ground out, coughing up a little blood. She still forced herself to her feet again.  
  
"WHAT is going on here?" A voice boomed, causing Izzy to drop the firewalls.  
  
"Oh great. Shouldn't you and my sister be exchanging saliva, and other bodily fluids around now?" she spat.  
  
Snape hesitated for a second, before scowling and storming forward. "Care to explain what all this is about?" He asked, without a hint of emotion.  
  
"Professor!" Harry and Ron called out to him, before realising just how stupid that action really was. But then, they were still confined to the corner.  
  
"Granger and I were dueling," she shrugged. "Oh, and Potty and the Weasel got in the way. Might want to unstick them."  
  
Snape turned, released the boys, although motioned for them to stay, before spinning to glare at the two girls again. Seeing as the Fortuna girl was a lost cause on the intimidation scale, he set his anger on Granger. "FOOLISH CHILD!" He cried. "Not only is it against school policy to duel outside the dueling club, but it is also quite far past curfew AND you could have been killed! 50 points from Gryffindor!" He bellowed. "EACH!"  
  
"Uh huh. Is there gonna be, you know, a punishment with that?" Izzy asked calmly.  
  
Hermione, meanwhile, was close to tears. Her robes were in tatters, she was sure she was bleeding internally, and she had just caused her house to lose a truckload of points.  
  
"Professor..." She tried weakly. She wasn't heard though.  
  
He was too busy arguing with his ex's little sister. "Yes, there will be punishments." He hissed, "Although THEY will be up to Professor Fortuna."  
  
"Yawn. She's unoriginal. I imagine you'll give her a few ideas in amongst the sweet nothings," Isara sneered.  
  
"Professor...." Hermione tried again, really not feeling well. Again she was ignored.  
  
"Contrary to whatever you believe, Miss Fortuna, there is nothing between your sister and I. And I refuse to discuss such things with you." He shot back.  
  
"Uh huh. Nothing between you, right. That's why you two were flirting in between your attempts to get me to behave like Granger over there. By the way, unless you want to be blamed for yelling at me while she's dying, you might want to get her to the hospital wing. Some of the stuff she got hit by, not pretty," Isara shook her head.  
  
He stopped himself from arguing with her in time to notice the other Gryffindor crash to the floor. Brilliant. Bloody brilliant. He looked back at Isara. "I will deal with you tomorrow morning. I suggest you get some rest now-"  
  
"Rest? Don't you know evil bat like people don't sleep?" she taunted. Clearly the effect he had on most students hadn't worked on her. Not one bit.  
  
"Miss Granger," he said, shaking the girl, and helping her to stand, ignoring the other.  
  
Hermione wasn't too good with the standing and not toppling over again. "Potter. Weasley." He demanded, " Take Miss Granger to the hospital wing. Explain what happened. I have some business to take care of." He glared at Isara, as if daring her to guess what kind of business.  
  
"Yes, Professor Snape." They answered, darting forward to help Hermione.  
  
"So, what? I'm gonna get the big lecture now? The one you used to give me when you and my sister were being completely gross about one another? Hate to tell ya this, Sevvy, but you're my professor now. I take potions, and I'm quite good, actually. So you can't step out of the bounds. You're controlled, but me, who *wants* to be expelled," she smirked. "I ain't got a controlling boundary in sight."  
  
"You realise that nobody at this school is going to give you what you want." He frowned, "And *that* lecture is about to be replaced. And, while I would love nothing more than to be the one to give you the new one, Arawn has requested that any matters with you are brought straight to her attention."  
  
"My sister, the self-involved, *caring* witch." Isara sneered. "Arawn can't do anything. She lost the right to control me years ago. She's my sister, not my mother. She ditched *me*, not me her, and she lost out. She forgot, send me to a school for delinquents, and I'll make like everyone else."  
  
Severus looked away. He had heard both sides of the story and he knew when it was best to shut up. "I don't know how true that is, nor how true her side of the tale is, but I do know that-"  
  
Isara interrupted. "If you're about to spurt some crap about her REALLY caring for me deep down inside, save it."  
  
"I was about to say that I do know that she will not tolerate your behaviour." Snape sneered. "And whether she cares for you or not is really for the two of you to discuss."  
  
"Really *not*. Arawn has a habit of spilling to the first person she sees bout how problematic I am. Look, Sev, do me a favour? Go fulfill hers and your fantasies. Take my sister to bed, and I'll go on my merry way. Maybe I'll even use an Unforgivable, and get sent to Azkaban as a birthday present. Who knows?" she shrugged. "Nightie night."  
  
She strode off.  
  
If it had been any other student treating him that way, Severus would have yelled for her to get back there on the double. Not to mention deduct house points' til next Thursday for the personal and improper things she had said. However, she wasn't an ordinary student and he knew it.  
  
He allowed her to go, watching her thoughtfully, and then hurried to the hospital wing, to make certain miss Granger was quite all right.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
After changing into her nightgown, Arawn flopped down on her bed with a sigh. She had so many different emotions and thoughts running through her head that she thought she'd go insane.  
  
"No, that is Isara's area of expertise," she told herself firmly, and then raised her head at the knock on the door.  
  
"Arawn?" Severus' voice filtered through the wood, and she leant back, and opened the door with her wand.  
  
"Come on in, Sev. What's she done now?" she asked tiredly.  
  
Snape strode in and sat down at the foot of her bed. "There was an incident.....I told her we'd discuss it tomorrow...."  
  
"Uh huh. What she do?" she asked again, a slight smile at Sev's blush at her state of dishabille.  
  
"She almost killed Miss Granger in a duel...." He responded, training his eyes to look elsewhere around her chambers.  
  
"Oh God," Arawn muttered, springing up, and yanking on a robe. "Is she all right? Granger, I mean."  
  
"She'll live, Poppy assures me." Severus stood up as well, "I don't suggest facing off with your sister tonight. Try tomorrow when you have a bit more energy. Knowing that child, I'd say you need it....."  
  
"Yeah. I have a few things to help various victims. Was the Malfoy boy all right? I don't actually think she meant to hurt him very much," Arawn sighed. "She's a problem child, and she hates me, almost as much as she thinks I hate her. I'm sorry if you got into the crossfire. What did she do? Don't give me bull, Sev. I recognise the look of one who has been attacked."  
  
"She didn't physically attack me," He mused. "Just.....brought up some old issues...."  
  
"Issues?" Arawn repeated, an eyebrow raised. She groaned. "Detail, please, Sev."  
  
He bit his tongue and thought about how to answer. "Our past, Arawn. The lectures. The....frustration of what we never really had....." He shrugged and smirked, "Gave me a few instructions on what I should do now....."  
  
"Oh God!" she moaned, blushing. "I'm going to kill her!"  
  
She wrapped the robe around her tighter, as Severus watched.  
  
"I didn't think it was *that* bad...." He responded, taking mock offense, then shrugged. "Really does not like Hogwarts, the people, or you, incidentally," he remarked.  
  
"Severus, we're teachers here. And that was a long while ago. I've had to become her mother, and she resents it. I know she hates me." "No," she amended with a sigh, looking at him. "She pretty much hates the world in general."  
  
"Much as your sister was always an entertaining topic when I was attempting to persuade you onto other areas in our teens," he coughed, "I am not actually wanting to discuss her tonight. I will check up on Malfoy, and go to bed. Goodnight, Arawn." Arawn smiled, and let him go, snuggling down in her bed. Hopefully, Severus' own intimidation tactics had worked on Isara. She didn't care. As of tonight, she was off duty.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A bell rang loudly, and Izzy sat up, wincing as the shard of noise cut  
  
through her head, like a knife through butter.  
  
The others in the dormitory got up quickly, shooting scared looks towards her, and dressing. She grabbed a nearby robe, and pulled it on, then teased a comb through her long hair. Tying it up with an elastic, she slid off the bed to brush her teeth.  
  
Coming back from the bathroom, she noticed that all of the students had gone on ahead. Smiling now, she left the room.  
  
"Harry, that girl is like Slytherin's other heir, or something. She's a  
  
nightmare! I looked in on Hermione today. She's *still* hurt, and Madam Pomfrey regrew your arm in a night!" Ron raged. Harry nodded.  
  
"Yeah, but what can we do? She did some pretty drastic stuff, and she's probably still here. Look, there she is," he pointed. The slim figure had just entered, her eyes sliding from table to table.  
  
"Why's Dumbledore letting her stay?" Ron asked, wondering. "I mean, she tried to kill two teachers and a student, on her first night! She bloody killed the table!"  
  
"Maybe he thinks she¹d be better off here. You know Dumbledore, he has his own reasons for things," Harry shrugged. "We'll just keep Hermione away from her, and stay away ourselves. If there was anyone nastier than Malfoy, that's her."  
  
"Yeah, but you should *see* Hermione. She¹s all bruised where those hexes hit her. She was unconscious most of last night. She said she would be in class, but that's Hermione, you know. Anyone else would still be in the hospital wing."  
  
"Well, she won't be in class, will she? She's in fifth year. She's sixteen, remember?" Harry said reassuringly.  
  
"What was she doing in the sixth form dormitory, then?" Ron asked, confused. "That's where she and Hermione where, you know. Fighting over something."  
  
"Never known 'Mione to get so heated up over something, except Malfoy," Harry remarked. "What's her name?"  
  
"Trouble," a voice said behind them. "Or jail bait. Whichever you prefer."  
  
The boys turned. A smiling face looked down at them from where they were seated. Friendly ice blue eyes, with a shining fall of dark brown hair. She wore deep burgundy robes that proclaimed her status as a teacher. She stuck out a hand.  
  
"I'm Professor Fortuna. And I'm sorry about your friend. Most people soon learn to stay out of Izzy's way," she said, looking at the girl, who had sat down.  
  
"Excuse me, Professor?" Harry asked politely.  
  
"Oh, sorry. I keep forgetting we're new here. I'm the professor of ancient magicks and *that*," she made a small gesture, "She is my sister, Isara. Also known as trouble, Lucifer's daughter, and many other small pet names. Look, I've been asked to find someone, who can keep an eye on her, by Professor McGonagall. She seems to think I'd know someone who can handle her, though the first thing I'd say is don't believe it. Isara has..ways and means of getting out of anyone's eyeshot. So, judging on your experience with dark stuff," she looked down at Harry, "You're selected, I'm afraid. You're the only one I know who might survive being around Izzy longer than a day."  
  
"There goes our 'avoid her' idea," Ron muttered. Professor Fortuna sat down at the table.  
  
"Hmm, yeah, a good idea," she agreed. "But unfortunately, like any other student, she needs a guide. Particularly since she's never been to Hogwarts before. "  
  
"Why's she need one of us? She's sixteen, right?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yeah, but she's in sixth year. Didn't you know?" the woman said, with a quirk of an eyebrow. She glanced back at her sister, who was behaving for once.  
  
"No," they answered, looking at one another.  
  
"Oh well. Might want to brush up on blocks and things," she smiled. "Izzy tends to..she fights with the gloves off, shall we say? I'm hoping she'll settle down, but bear in mind, she¹s trying to get expelled. I'm always around, I'll be in my classroom most of the time, so any problems.." she looked at them apologetically. "I'm sorry you¹re stuck with this, Harry, but it needs to be a Gryffindor. Any major incidents, like what happened last night, just shout for me. I'll come."  
  
She stood up gracefully, and walked back up to the teacher's table, her hips swaying.  
  
"How come you're so unlucky, Harry?" Ron asked, punching him on the arm.  
  
"I dunno. Hermione's going to *kill* her!" he realised.  
  
"No, Mione's not stupid. She wouldn't try anything a second time," Ron said, despite sounding unconvinced.  
  
"We'll just...keep them apart. What've you got first?" Harry asked.  
  
"Ancient Magicks, actually. So have you, and Hermione. Maybe it'll be easier, with her sister there, and stuff," Ron replied, sounding brighter.  
  
"Uh huh," Harry agreed. They ate their breakfast, and hurried up to  
  
Gryffindor tower to get their books.  
  
******************** 


End file.
